[CAUT] Steinway "sound"

[Fred Sturm]

On Feb 17, 2011, at 8:25 PM, Ed Sutton wrote:

> In a recital hall where I have tuned, all the pianos sound dull. One  
> day I listened as a visiting violinist tested the stage, walking  
> around and finally finding his performance place at the  edge of the  
> stage, in front of the proscenium, where, unfortunately, the pianos  
> can't go. Incredible efforts have gone into voicing the pianos,  
> which do have problems, I think, but we won't know for sure on that  
> stage.

	There are certainly issues with hall acoustics, but typically the  
violinist or singer is looking for the place that will provide ideal  
feedback. It isn't necessarily where the instrument will sound best to  
the audience, but rather to the performer, so the performer can hear  
what is being produced and adapt. We have an odd situation in our hall  
where there is too high a ceiling on stage (to accommodate the built  
in large pipe organ), and inadequate acoustic adjustment (design  
features that were dropped due to money running out), resulting in  
places in the middle and back of the stage where it is difficult to  
hear ensemble reliably. Very disconcerting to the performer. For  
chamber groups, a portable shell is normally used, and that pretty  
much solves the problem. In any case, the problem is not apparent to  
the audience, but it is troublesome on stage.

> And what are the effects of 20% relative humidity on a compression  
> crowned soundboard?

I'll let you know when we get up that high <G>. Currently we are in  
the 10-15% range, seeing how often and how far below 10% we'll go this  
year. Both Ds have essentially zero crown, zero DB (I was curious, so  
got out the Wixey gauge and string to remind myself that this is  
indeed the case today). How do they sound? Just fine to me. Maybe my  
ear isn't educated enough, but I hear more compliments than complaints  
from both local and visiting pianists, and I find the sound quite  
acceptable both from the piano and from the audience.

Regards,
Fred Sturm
fssturm at unm.edu
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." Twain

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